The passing attack for Minnesota has largely been fueled this season

Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs Julian Love Jersey , who have flourished into one of the NFL’s most productive and versatile wide receiver tandems.Kyle Rudolph has again been in mostly a supporting role, often asked to assist a vulnerable offensive line with blocking and rarely the first option while running a route from his tight end spot with more than half of the throws made by Kirk Cousins sent to either Thielen or Diggs.When the Vikings badly needed a spark for their sputtering offense on Sunday in Detroit, Rudolph took full advantage of his rare opportunity as the focal point, a little like a holiday-appropriate red-nosed reindeer tasked with pulling the sleigh through a snowstorm for Santa Claus.“Just my time,” Rudolph said after the Vikings beat the Lions 27-9 to stay in control of the second wild-card spot in the NFC . “You just prepare each and every week as best you can. We’ve got two really, really good receivers on the outside, and today when the ball came my way I just tried to catch it. I can’t tell you why or give you a reason that happened today, other than it’s almost Christmas. Christmas is usually good to me.”The leaping catch he made in the end zone on the final play of the first half wasn’t close to his only contribution, either, as critical as that desperation catch turned out to be. Rudolph was targeted a season-high nine times, and he snagged all of those passes for a career-high 122 yards and just the third two-touchdown game out of the 115, including the playoffs, he’s suited up for.“I take a lot of pride in preparing myself each and every week when these opportunities do come,” Rudolph said. “I don’t always know when they’re going to come in the passing game. I have a lot of other roles that I have to do that I take advantage of them.”The Vikings (8-6-1) still need one more win to secure a second straight year in the playoffs, a feat they last accomplished in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Otherwise their fate will be in Washington’s hands, with a loss by Philadelphia in that case the only way in. NFC North champion Chicago will visit U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, with the Bears still playing for a better seed.“We’ve got to empty the bucket Darius Slayton Jersey , and that’s the way we’ve got to play next week at home,” Rudolph said. “I’m really looking forward to that environment.”Rudolph had seven receptions for 63 yards in the game against Green Bay on Nov. 25 after voicing to the coaching staff a team-success-driven concern about the lack of impact he’d been able to make as a pass-catcher to that point. He had only eight catches for 68 yards combined over the three games that followed, though.With Thielen and Diggs frequently drawing double teams during the second half of the season, and undoubtedly in the playoffs as long as the Vikings continue on, Rudolph’s production is vital for an offense that has been up and down in Cousins’ first year in purple.Since Kevin Stefanski replaced John DeFilippo as offensive coordinator, the Vikings have employed more play-action passes and bootleg rollouts for Cousins, concepts that can only help Rudolph thrive up and down the field.“It just adds another weapon,” coach Mike Zimmer said, adding: “The more guys we can use, the better it is.”Despite such quiet stretches during this season, Rudolph has 60 receptions for 615 yards, both the second highest of his career behind 2016. The longest-tenured player on the offense, Rudolph also has a 77.9 percent catch rate on the throws he’s been targeted on to surge past his previous best of 70.6 in 2014.“He’s a tremendous talent,” Cousins said.If the Vikings beat the Bears (11-4), the probable scenario is the No. 6 seed and an instant rematch in the wild-card round in Chicago.That would change if Seattle (9-6), which opened as 11½-point favorites against Arizona (3-12), loses at home to the Cardinals. Then the Vikings would jump the Seahawks for the No. 5 seed and travel to NFC East champion Dallas (9-6).If the Vikings lose but the Eagles also lose to send them back to the tournament T.J. Hockenson Jersey , they will face the Bears unless San Francisco (4-11), which began as a nine-point underdog, wins at Los Angeles (12-3).In that case, the Vikings would play the Rams next weekend with the Bears taking the No. 2 seed and the first-round bye.The NFL set the schedule up to maximize the drama, bumping the Bears-Vikings game to the late-afternoon timeslot so it will be played simultaneously with the Eagles-Redskins, Cardinals-Seahawks and 49ers-Rams games. There will be four other AFC games with postseason impact taking place at the same time, too.“I don’t think I want to get in 8-7-1,” Cousins said. “I think 9-6-1 is a better way to earn your way in, and hopefully we can get the job done.” RICHMOND, Va. (AP)An NFL player doesn’t get an MRI just for fun, so Josh Doctson undergoing one seemed problematic.Even though Doctson played every game last season, the memories of Achilles tendon injuries almost entirely wiping out the 2016 first-round pick’s rookie year are fresh. But he and the Washington Redskins are sticking with the idea of not being overly concerned.”Just tuning things up,” Doctson said. ”Every car gets an oil change.”Coach Jay Gruden said last week’s MRI coming back clear meant no reason for alarm, and the young wide receiver reported feeling good and looks the part early in camp. Health is half the battle for Doctson, who at 6-foot-2 with good hands and instincts has the chance to be a dynamic part of Washington’s offense.”He can definitely be one of the top receivers in this league with his leaping ability and his size and him being able to run down the field,” fellow wideout Jamison Crowder said. ”The main thing is just him staying healthy. If he can stay healthy, man http://www.lionscheapstore.com/jahlani-tavai-jersey-cheap , he has all the potential.”Doctson’s 2017 is evidence of that potential: 35 catches for 502 yards and six touchdowns. He was one of five players with at least 500 yards receiving as quarterback Kirk Cousins spread the ball around, and Gruden doesn’t expect that to change this season under Alex Smith.”It’s going to be hard for one guy to have a fantasy football superstar year,” Gruden said. ”I think in the red zone is where (Doctson is) going to be most dangerous, that’s where were hoping that he can really dominate in that area of the field and some tight window throws on third down. Just continue to get better and better and when the ball is there for him and he goes out and makes the tough catches.”Doctson is unwilling to share personal elements of his game he’s working on, but there’s no doubt with his size that Smith will be looking his way on Gruden’s patented fade routes in the end zone. The TCU product’s leaping ability helps him stand out and has been noticeable in one-on-one drills against star cornerback Josh Norman.”He’s unique,” Norman said. ”With Josh Doctson, he’s deceptively quick – fast in a way that his timing on the ball is almost impeccable. He jumps at the top of every throw, it seems, and then jump balls he’s just special.”Gruden hopes Smith gets Doctson more touchdown opportunities this season to show what he can do. That should happen assuming the Achilles tendon problems are over and Doctson moves into what’s essentially his second NFL season.The biggest challenge Doctson sees for himself now is developing chemistry with Smith, who likes to review plays with receivers in practice and tell them exactly what he wants. That’s different from Cousins and TCU QB Trevone Boykin, so Doctson has to adjust.”Alex might throw a little different ball than Kirk or my quarterback in college, so it’s just kind of getting on page with Alex,” he said.Doctson is able to do that because he’s on the field and healthy, a trend the Redskins hope lasts all season.—